Metallic Americium

The properties of metallic americium are listed in Table 9.24.

Alternative processes for preparing metallic americium are the reduction of AmF3 with barium vapor in high vacuum at about 1300°C, reduction of AmF4 with calcium, and reduction of АтОг with lanthanum or thorium at about 1500°C in high vacuum. The vapor pressure of ameri­cium is much higher than that of lanthanum or thorium, so that pure americium is condensed in the colder parts of the apparatus [K2, L2]. Metallic americium dissolves readily in mineral acids.